Cuteness personified

For the other new mums who want details (and let me know if my mini foray into mommy blogging is helpful)…we’ve been doing solids for about 3 weeks, new guidelines from the experts and the paed recommend waiting until six months, but I was tired of waking up several times a night to feed her (solids seem to have helped) and I felt she was ready to move on. So far so good, she’s always been a good eater. Started with rice cereal mixed with formula, then a new mashed veggie with a bit of milk mixed in for 3 days to see what’s popular and to watch for any reactions. First veggie was carrots, which was not a big hit. We’ll try again next month, maybe mixed with something else. Second veggie was sweet potato, very popular…she could do seconds. Third veggie was butternut, not as a big a hit as sweet potato but seems to go down well. Right now doing butternut and sweet potato combo. I’ve put off trying fruit until this week because it’s recommended that you get them used to vegetables first before the sweetness of fruit. Banana has not been well received to my suprised, tomorrow we try pears.

To the non-mums…yes, with motherhood comes preoccupation with a lot of things that many would find mundane including the color and consistency of the baby’s poop

A couple of tips on the transition to solids:
– A big plastic bib is essential, it gets messy.
– Don’t worry if half the food seems to end up everywhere but in the mouth in the beginning, they soon get the hang of it. Start with small portions first and not when they are too hungry otherwise they don’t have the patience (sometimes I give her a bit of milk beforehand).
– It’s trial and error, some foods will take and some won’t. Don’t fret about it and don’t be afraid to go with your instincts.
– Recommend the book “Complete First Year Planner” by Annabel Karmel. Gives you a good idea on a schedule you can follow plus has ideas for meals when they are ready to try more.

10 comments to Cuteness personified

*Sigh* KP, all that drama is about a meal? (which ends up ‘everywhere but inthe mouth!!)…..butternut, sweet potato, banana, pears….gives new meaning to “the most difficult job in the world!”
Color of poop!!!? What?
Just how much information should one have really?
Is it crazy to get all these things done?
Now I am scared @ the mere thought of taking care of another soul’s life. LOL

Yes, KM and you don’t even know half of it! Color of poop is a preoccupation in the first weeks…that and extracting a burp…you actually celebrate when it happens…you’ll see. And yes, most difficult job but by far the most rewarding…she’s the only person in the world who’s face lights up immediately I walk in the room, even if I was gone for two minutes

In my very kenyan accent “me, I like these posts about babies sana”!
I was trying to hold out till he was six months, lakini pressure pressure and I gave in… he has not pooped since yesterday, when I gave him maize uji!…. so I am waiting for him to poop before I try again. Otherwise he liked it quite a lot.

Keep the posts coming. Liking them very much and she is truly cuteness personified. Much as I wanted a baby boy… I think baby girls have all the fun, the cute clothes, the hair stuff… ahh… just cuteness!
I know what you mean about fighting off pressure…the two grandmothers were not buying the four months story. They say rice cereal is easier to digest than uji or maize cereal, so if he’s not pooping maybe switch to something else. Banana was also a constipation culprit for me.

Baby Gabby is turning into a stunna..we knew she had looks but those eyes are poppoing yo…and the cheeks..and them cute tiny little lips..thats a beautiful baby right there. Ory stop perming your baby’s hair :)…

Tip to mamas………there is an excellent uji mix for weaning babies back home i.e. in Kenya, it is called “4C” and is readily available in Uchumi, Nakumatt et al. It is a combination of wimbi, millet, sorghum, maize meal, peanuts and sugar cane and for added zest they include different flavors like Mango, Banana and Carrot. It is absolutely excellent and I had no problem with constipation at all. My mom came with a suitcase full from Nairobi and it made the entire weaning process very, very easy plus the nutritional value is unbeatable. When we ran out I resorted to Organic oatmeal or multi-grain cereal……nothing came close but luckily she had already moved on to her pureed fruits and veggies…..
Other recipes that have worked for me with a fussy eater very ripe bananas with avocado, apple sauce w/carrots and a dash of cinammon and maple syrup to ‘kick it up a notch’, organic milk powder or baby formula mixed with green veggies, it ‘sweetens’ them. Happy burping, spoon feeding and other adventures!
Thanks for the tips…this is encouraging me to do more mama blogging.

It was nice stumbling upon this post. My daughter turned 22 weeks yesterday and I gave her solids for the first time today (oatmeal). Prior to today I breastfed exclusively, but she’s been salivating while staring at my food so I figured it was time.

Yummy little girl:grin:
Now as far as feeding anyone is concerned , I had a baby who fed on air yet kept adding so much weight when I went to the clinic the nurses accused me of feeding him on blueband… at less than 6 months.
I think you are very lucky having a baby who eats without a fuss there is nothing as frustrating as trying all the recipes in the book only to have all your food thrown all over your face and everywhere else…and none actually entering the mouth.
All the best

hi! great to see another baby blog – your baby is precious & I love the local tips! My little Kenyan-mix boy has been raised on 4C, which he started at 4 months (Kenyan maternity leave is too short!) Now 15 months, he eats everything as long as he does it himself… spaghetti or sukuma, he eats it all!